STREAMING ON NETFLIX
ABOUT THE FILM
TREVOR KENNISON
On November 15th, 2014, Trevor Kennison broke his back snowboarding in the Colorado backcountry on Vail Pass. A plumber by trade and a snowboarder only by hobby, Trevor’s entire life was changed forever. Wheelchair bound, his future was filled with uncertainty and devoid of goals or direction.
On a whim, Trevor tried sit-skiing for the first time (an adaptive device enabling wheelchair users to ski). His life changed forever once again: setting goals around sit-skiing progression gave him a newfound purpose.
In 2019, Trevor showed up as an unknown amateur in Jackson Hole Wyoming, and became the first sit-skier to launch into Corbet’s Couloir at the Kings and Queens of Corbet’s competition. His death-defying 60 foot leap of faith went viral and launched his career as a professional athlete. More importantly, it earned him a spiritual mentor.
BARRY CORBET
Unbeknownst to the rest of the skiing world, the namesake of Corbet’s Couloir, Barry Corbet, had been shaping Trevor’s path since the day he was hurt. An intrepid skier, mountaineer, explorer, filmmaker, and Jackson Hole legend, Barry broke his back in a helicopter crash in 1968.
Frustrated by a pre-ADA culture that did not accept or support the disabled, and unable to pursue the outdoor lifestyle he loved without access to modern equipment, Barry reinvented himself. In the years after his spinal cord injury, he became a seminal leader in the disability community.
Barry wrote books, edited magazines, made films, and became a community leader at Craig Hospital in Denver. Despite his monumental contributions both to mountaineering and to the disabled community, Barry’s story has been untold until now, lost to the shuffle of time.
THE STORY
FULL CIRCLE follows Trevor on a path towards post-traumatic growth in parallel with Barry, 50 years later. Their stories mirror each other, connected through time and space by common locations and motifs; injuries in the Colorado backcountry, rehab at Craig Hospital, fame in Jackson Hole; but also through their shared resiliency and refusal to let their zeal for life be limited by their injuries.
Barry shows that growth after spinal cord injury is possible for everyone, not just adaptive athletes. And yet his legacy paves the way for Trevor’s superhuman feats.
Six years after his accident, Trevor returns to the site of his accident in the Colorado backcountry with the goal of landing the world’s first double backflip on a sit-ski- the culmination of his own personal growth and reinvention.
FULL CIRCLE is an unblinking examination of the challenges of Spinal Cord Injury, and a celebration of the growth that such tragedy can catalyze.
ABOUT THE SCORE
“A lot of times the story behind the music is as important as the story in the film itself” — Composer Mark Crawford
Mark brought his incredible score for FULL CIRCLE to life in a powerful way, putting the ethos of the film into practice. Mark recruited some of the most talented musicians from around the world- including featured soloists from the disability community.
World-renowned jazz pianist Justin Kauflin, virtuoso violinist Brian Krinke, famed trumpet played Patrick Henry Hughes, superhuman percussionist Jason Barnes, and grammy-winning guitarist and rock star Eric Howk bring their own personal journeys to the score- backed by a 24-piece string ensemble from Vienna, Austria.
Listen to the full score on Spotify
2024 Sports Emmy Nominee
Outstanding Long Documentary
TESTIMONIALS
Trevor Kennison’s story is raw and human. It’s joyful, sure, but at times it’s painful – something this film thankfully does not shy away from. FULL CIRCLE is a story about what it means to dig deep, as an athlete, and a person.
One of the most moving ski films in recent memory.
FULL CIRCLE is a satisfying, masterful, and honest documentary. The film will punch you in the gut and lift you up offering a full range of emotional payoffs.
FULL CIRCLE is a storytelling feat – a must-see movie that will push your understanding of what it means to be an athlete.
PRAISE FROM THE SPINAL CORD INJURED COMMUNITY
As an athlete, amateur historian, person with a disability and person who loves ski culture; you fucking nailed this.
The film is beautiful, intelligent and moving. Barry’s writing always hits me at the core, and to have built a movie that lives up to that standard and even elevates it, is quite an accomplishment.
The honesty and truthfulness with which the creators presented the reality of life with Spinal Cord Injury was a relief. We need films like this – you guys put something really spectacular together.
THE PRODUCTION
Principal photography for FULL CIRCLE began in December 2019, when Trevor approached Level 1 about filming a web short about returning to the site of his accident. When the production team learned about Barry Corbet’s story and the parallels between Barry and Trevor, the project quickly grew in size and scope.
FULL CIRCLE was filmed on location across North America, supplementing keystone cinéma vérité scenes with key interviews from Trevor’s family, Barry’s family, and others in the Spinal Cord Injury community.
While the production team for FULL CIRCLE is able-bodied, the producers have taken great care to ensure that the film represents the experience of living with Spinal Cord Injury fully, accurately, and honestly.
Key partners in this effort have been the teams at New Mobility Magazine, High Fives Foundation, and Craig Hospital, who have helped vet the film and coordinate test screenings with dozens of Spinal Cord Injury survivors.
EDUCATIONAL SCREENINGS & SALES
We work with GOOD DOCS on educational distribution. If you are interested in purchasing or streaming the film for an educational institution listed below, please visit gooddocs.net/full-circle for more information.
The film is available to the following institutions and organizations:
- Colleges & Universities
- Community Colleges
- High Schools
- Public Library
- Non-Profits & Community Groups
- Corporate & For-Profits
THE TEAM
Josh Berman
Mark Crawford
Thomas Crandall
CREDITS
Presented by
Level 1 Productions
and
Abramorama
In Association with
XYZ FILMS
Director
Josh Berman
Narration Written by
Barry Corbet
Producers
Conor Smith
Josh Berman
roy tuscany
Editor
Thomas crandall
JOSH BERMAN
Director of Photography
JOSH BERMAN
Written by
Josh Berman
Thomas Crandall
Conor Smith
Original Score Composed by
Mark Crawford
Executive Producers
JOSH BERMAN
KEVIN & ROSEMARY McNEELY
ANDREW TINER
Associate Producer
Emy Reznik
Story Consultant
Greg Hydle
Creative Director
Georg “Schui” Baumann
Level 1 Productions
One of the most acclaimed and award-winning production houses in the action sports genre, Level 1 has been producing ski films, documentary content, and outdoor commercial work for over two decades.
We are located at 916 Inca Street, Denver, Colorado 80204, United States
PRESS INQUIRIES
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PRESS NOTES
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